What would you like to see in the High Desert? (Victorville: houses, buy)

[KabawL]

Preferably in Victorville, I'd like to see...

Bevmo (aka Beverages and More)
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
The Yardhouse

[Gandalara]

Less houses, less businesses, less billboards, less traffic.

[SportyandMisty]

Rather than Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, I started roasting my own coffee beans. For a coffee roaster you can go to Good Will & get a hot air popcorn popper for $5. Un-roasted coffee beans (called green coffee beans) last about a year so you don't worry about them going stale. Freshly roasted coffee is SO MUCH better than commercially roasted coffee that there is no comparison.

Unroasted coffee beans - the best you can find - cost about $5 or $5/pound shipped to you from any number of places on the internet. Roast up a level measuring cup (8 oz) of coffee beans - it takes about 8 mins - then grind them the next morning & you have the best coffee you'll ever taste.

[Twinkle Toes]

My parents and brother live in the HD, I only drive up to visit. I'd like to see less traffic (like Gandalara said) and less potholes in the streets! Oh, and also like Gandalara said - less houses! The place used to be nice until the greedy developers got hold of it.

[Fontucky]

Will a popcorn popper attain the level of roast I prefer, which is French and Italian, also known as very dark?

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Will a popcorn popper attain the level of roast I prefer, which is French and Italian, also known as very dark?

Maybe not, but I'll bet there are a number of "other" things you could roast with that popper!

[Fontucky]

My nuts?

[SportyandMisty]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Will a popcorn popper attain the level of roast I prefer, which is French and Italian, also known as very dark?

Yes, absolutely. Even darker (spanish roast). If you are not careful, the beans will go beyond that and just turn to charcoal and ultimately catch on fire.

You put in a level measuring cup of unroasted beans (actually, make that a half cup to 3/4 cup), plug it in (do this outside or do it underneath a stove vent). After about 5 mins or so, you will start to hear the beans "pop" almost like popcorn. This is moisture escaping from the coffee bean. When you look inside the popcorn popper, you'll see the beans look light roasted.

Another couple mins and they will be dark roasted, and you'll start to hear them popping a 2nd time. That's carbon dioxide escaping.

The first pop is called "first crack" and the 2nd pop is called "second crack".

Go to youtube & search for "coffee roasting with popcorn popper" and you'll find lots of videos.

Also google "sweetmaria's coffee" and you'll find a place to get the beans and tips & education, etc.

It is the best coffee you'll ever taste.

[Fontucky]

Thank you. I buy premium beans and grind them as needed, so roasting my own looks like the next sensible step.

[Snort]

What would you like to see in the High Desert?

An oasis where there's a club where I'm the only member.....served cold drinks by the Swedish Bikini Team.